hepatitis B

(Newser) -
Another bombshell Wednesday about an ex-surgical tech at a Colorado hospital who allegedly stole liquid painkillers by swapping syringes, per federal prosecutors: He has HIV, putting thousands of former patients at risk, the Denver Post reports. Rocky Allen, 28, accused of stealing fentanyl citrate in January from Swedish Medical Center...
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2,300 patients urged to get tested for hepatitis and HIV

(Newser) -
Officials have investigated at least 12 cases of hepatitis linked to a heart clinic in West Virginia, the AP reports. The viruses have been linked to injectable medications given during cardiac stress tests at the Raleigh Heart Clinic. Eight patients receiving cardiac stress tests have tested positive for hepatitis C...
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Depends who you ask, but some experts think it poses serious health risks

(Newser) -
Some fitness buffs , fetishists, and people with chronic illnesses believe human breast milk—apparently now a profitable, growing market—is a superfood of sorts, Sky News notes. And then there are the science experts who say that drinking the lactated liquid could infect imbibers with hepatitis (B and C), HIV,...
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Investigators sent to Biokangtai headquarters

(Newser) -
China sent health experts to investigate the drug maker Biokangtai today to see if several recent deaths of babies were related to a vaccine they received in a government immunization program. The inquiry was launched after provincial and health authorities separately reported that since November, about a half-dozen babies died...
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Just 3,122 of 7K patients tested so far

(Newser) -
An investigation into an Oklahoma dentist accused of major health violations at his clinic for years has turned up at least 60 patients with hepatitis, reports ABC News . More than 7,000 former patients of Dr. W. Scott Harrington were sent warning letters in March that Harrington had regularly re-used...
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Poorly trained workers don't know how to clean them: Center for Public Integrity

(Newser) -
A disturbing and dangerous trend is growing in hospitals, according to a report from the Center of Public Integrity : the use of dirty instruments leading to serious infections. The problem is showing up with "alarming regularity" and could be linked to the difficulty in cleaning modern surgical tools and...
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More than one partner in year could label you as risky

(Newser) -
Anyone who has had sex with two or more people in the past year could be classified as a risky organ donor even if they possess no other risk factors, according to new health guidelines proposed by the CDC. The new federal policy would flag organ donors who have not...
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82 drugs kept fuhrer going

(Newser) -
Adolph Hitler had regular injections of dextrose and vitamins, testosterone and a flatulence preventative that included minute doses of the nerve agent strychnine, according to a new book. For an added boost on date nights with Eva Braun the fuhrer indulged in a shot of bull semen extract. War Hitler ...
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Harvard researchers fashion a household item into a diagnostic device

(Newser) -
Centrifuges separate blood from plasma—but at considerable expense, in a bulky package. That leaves them beyond the reach of underfunded medical facilities that could use the help in diagnosing blood-borne ailments, such as hepatitis and other diseases. The solution, Discover reports, could be as close as the nearest kitchen....
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Practice may have spread hepatitis, HIV

(Newser) -
Six people with serious cases of hepatitis are just the beginning of what's expected to be a major health problem after a Las Vegas clinic gambled with the lives of tens of thousands of patients by reusing syringes, reports AP. The practice may have exposed patients to HIV and could...
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Drug company finds contamination at its Pennsylvania factory

(Newser) -
Merck is recalling almost a million doses of a childhood vaccine after it found evidence of contamination at one of its factories, the AP reports. The pharmaceutical giant says no children have been harmed after taking Hib, which prevents meningitis and pneumonia, but the company is recalling its 10 lots...
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